Since Yoshi mentioned one of the pet system ideas that was in the works was in fact the "disposable pet" system for beastmasters, I was really, really disappointed. I know many FF players scoff at the mention of WoW but their pet system was more satisfying to play with and I'd rather see this system implemented in it's own way in FFXIV. I could care less about whether or not the class is solo/party friendly. Classes are supposed to be geared towards solo play anyway, with jobs being favored in groups. One of Yoshida's ideas was to have a beast-tamer as a class and having summoner as the job it could unlock, so I don't think beastmasters will be left out of either solo or group play.
